Iraq receives 9 Mi-A1 Abrams tanks

Iraq may not be quite strong enough to completely defend itself. But that’s not because it lacks decent tanks.

Iraq’s Army this week took delivery of nine American M1-A1 Abrams tanks. Defense News reports, the delivery completes an order of 140. Iraq displayed the tanks at a training facility southeast of Baghdad. They cost a total of $860 million, of which Iraq paid $800 million. The United States paid the rest. Iraq has also purchased 36 F-16 fighter planes.

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Tom Temin is the host of The Federal Drive, which airs from 6-9 a.m. on 1500 AM in the Washington, DC region and online everywhere. Tom has 30 years experience in journalism, mostly in technology markets. Before coming to Federal News Radio, he was a long-serving editor-in-chief of Government Computer News and Washington Technology magazines.